Dashboard attachment for cigar lighters



1 1927 B. A. BENSON DASHBOARD ATTACHMENT FOR CIGAR 'LIGHTERS Filed Nov. 4, 1925 Inmhk: Ber/75 flj Patented Feb. 1, v 1927.

UNITED; STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BERNHART A. BENSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO CHICAGO ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING CO., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

DASHBOARD ATTACHMENT FOB/ CIGAR LIGHTERS.

Application filed November 4, 1925. Serial No. 66,725.

, My invention relates to means for adjust- I ably supporting electric devices of the spring-retracted reel type, such as the elec- 'tric cigar lighters'and trouble lamps as now commonly used on automobiles.

, For neatness in appearance, itis desirable to have the body of such a device concealed by the dashboard of the automobile, while leaving the socket for the cord-retracted lighter'or trouble lamp projecting in a convenient place. Where such devices are sold directly to the users, and hence are likely to be attach-ed to dashboards of varying .thicknesses and constructions, it is also desirable to have each such device arranged so that the user can readily attach it firmly and with a minimum of tool work to the type of dashboard of his own car.

In its general objects, my invention pro vides simple, inexpensive, and easily manipulated attaching means for this purpose. More particularly, my invention provides attaching means adjustably mounted on the casing of such a reel type cigar lighter or the like, and arranged so as to be readily attachable either to a metal dashboard or to wooden dashboards of varying thick- 'nesses. Moreover, my invention provides an arrangement for this purpose which can v readily be attached to the dashboard in such a manner as to avoid any rocking or tilting of the attached device, and which can be adjusted to vary the position of the lighterreceiving socket of the device forwardly or rearwardly with respect to the dashboard. Still further, and also more detailed objects will appear from the following specification and from the accompanying drawings, in

which- '40 'Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an electric cigar lighter equipped with attaching means embodying my invention, showing this as attached to a metal dashboard stiffened at its lower edge by a forwardly directed flange. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same embodiment.

Fig. 3 is anelevation similar to Fig. 1, but showing the same lighter and attaching means as used in connection with a dashboard of wood.

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the lighter and the attaching means of Figs. 1-8' inelusive.

' In the drawings, I am showing a reel type electric cigar lighter having a casing 1 and a tubular light socket 2 projecting forwardly from this casing and near the bottom of the latter, which socket normally is partly entered by the usual lighter carrier 3. The 6" device illustrated is of the general type shown in the copending application N 0. 66,726 of James J. Gough as filed November 5, 1925 for a patent on an Automatic'switching cord reel, in which alined threaded elements 11 and 12 project from opposite sides of the casing 1 and carry nuts 13 and 14: for securing the two circuit wires VJ and 7' to the lighter. These threaded elements are axial of the reel and hence of the general i9 contour of the casing, which has the axis of the reel considerably above the lighter socket 2.

To attach a device of this construction to a vertical sheet metal dashboard 4, I provide 7 a substantially L-shaped metal attaching bracket, which bracket has the forward portion of its main shank 5 extending along one side of the device and adapted to be clamped between the nuts 6 and 14, which 8 also secure the grounded circuit wire W to the lighter. The companion shank 8 of this bracket extends transversely of the longer shank 5-from the forward end of the latter, so as to afford a foot bearing against the 55 rear face of the dashboard 4i. and adapted to be fastened to the latter by a bolt S) extending through the dashboard. i

To insure a desirable positioning of the lighter socket 2 with respect to the dashan board, I provide the bracket shank 5 with a longitudinal slot 10, through which the adj acent threaded element 12 extends, thereby permitting the bracket to be slid forwardlyor rearwardly on this threaded element. When the outer nut 14: on the latter is loosened, the cigar lighter casing can he slid forwardly or rearwardly, this being done after the bracket has been attached to the dashboard by the bolt 9, thereby varying the position of the forward end of the lighter socket 2 and correspondingly varying the forward projection of the lighter holder 8 beyond the dashboard. If the metal dashboard has its lower edge provided with the usual forwardly directed flange 15, the single hole which needs to be drilled in the dashboard for receiving the shank of the bolt 9 is desirably located so that the lower edge of the bracket foot 8 and of the adja- 119 cent part of the bracket shank 5 rest on this flange,as shown in Fig. 1,thereby preventing the bracket and the lighter to which it is secured from being moved rotationally about the axis of the bolt 9.

By constructing-the attaching bracket so that it will afford a considerablespace between the bracket foot and the front of'the casing 1 when the bracket is slid as shown in Fig. 1, I can readily afiord a considerable forward adjustment ofithe bracket withrespect to-the casing of the lighter, thereby adapting my attaching means for use even on q-uitethick wooden dashboards, such as the dashboard 16 of Fig. 8. lVhere the dashboard is of wood, the single hole needed fortheshank of the bolt 9 may be located so that the top of the lighter-receiving socket 2 will be close to the lower edge of the dashboard and hence will engage .that edge to prevent any considerable rotation of the device as a whole aboutthe axis of the bolt 9.

However, while I have illustrated and described my invention in connection with .areeltype cigar lighter of a certain type, I do not wish to be limited in this respect, nor do I wish to be limited as to the details of the construction and arrangement above described, since many changes might obviously be made without departing either from the spirit of my invention or froznthe appended claims. I

.Iclaim as my invention:

1. For attachment to the dashboard of an automobile, a reel type electric cigar lighter having its reel casing disposed behind the lower portion ofthe dashboardand having a lighter-holding socket projecting forwardly from the lower part of thecasing and extending below the lower edge of the dashboard; an attaching member extending rearwardly from the dashboard and having means at its forward endfor securing it to the dashboard; and means forsecuring the board so as to vary the position of the forward end of the lighter-holder with respect to the dashboard.

2. F or attachment to the dashboard of an automobile, a reel type electric cigar lighter having its reel casing disposed behind the lower portion of the dashboard and having a lighter-holding socket projecting forwardly from the lower part of the casing and extending below the lower edge of the dashboard; a bracket extending rearwardly from the dashl'ioard alongside the lighter casing and having at its forward end a foot secured to the dashboard, and n'ieans for se curing the casing to a more rearward portion ofthe brackchthe bracket being adjustable with respect to the casing to permit of varying the distance between the casingand the said foot so as to vary the position of the forward end of the said socket with respect to the dashboard.

' 3. The combination with adashboard having a forwardly directed flange at its lower edge, of areel type device of the class described having its main casing portion disposed in front of the dashboard and having another portion projecting rearwardly from the said main casing portion and under the said flange, a bracket comprising a foot Secured to the dashboard and seated on the said flange and ashank extending-forwardly from the foot-alongside the said main casingportion, the shank having a longitudinal slot and the device having an element extending through the slot, andn'i-eans threaded on the said element for clamping the said shank to the device.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, October 31st, 1925.

BERNHA ET A. BENSON. 

